Want to watch a blockbuster using MoviePass? You will need to pay a bit more

A MoviePass credit card allows
subscribers to gain entry to one movie a day for one flat monthly fee. (AP
Photo/Darron Cummings)

A day after AMC rolled out its own movie-going monthly subscription plan, MoviePass announced new changes of its own — and they may bite into your wallet.

Starting in July, MoviePass will charge “high demand” pricing — on top of the monthly subscription plan — for movies it deems to be receiving high demand, according to Business Insider. The added charge will start at $2 and will vary up to $6 depending on the time and the popularity, akin to Uber’s surge-pricing mechanism.

“At certain times for certain films — on opening weekend — there could be an additional charge for films,” said MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe to Business Insider.

By August, MoviePass will also allow subscribers to add a friend when buying tickets through the app and have the option to order IMAX or 3D movies — at an extra price. While the bring-a-friend feature and the 3D/IMAX option will be available in one package in the future, both will be offered separately at first, according to Lowe.

MoviePass is facing increased challenges in the subscription space it trail-blazed, with the latest coming from AMC.

AMC announced on Wednesday the AMC Stubs A-List plan, which costs $19.95 a month — nearly twice as expensive as MoviePass — and allows up to three movies a week. MoviePass currently charges $9.95 a month to watch one movie a day in the theaters, including AMC’s.

But the A-List plan is packed with perks, such as free upgrades on popcorn and soda, free refills on large popcorn, a free popcorn and soda on subscribers’ birthdays, express service at the box office and concession stand, no online ticketing fees and an automatic enrollment into AMC’s rewards program.

Lowe described AMC’s foray into subscriptions — after AMC had initially called MoviePass’s business model “unsustainable” — as “a little bit kind of funny” to Business Insider.

“It’s pretty clear what he wanted to do — clear the way for his own subscription program and not have competition,” said Lowe, referring to AMC CEO Adam Aron.